Anita Lizana

Anita Lizana

Anita Lizana de Ellis (November 19, 1915 - August 21, 1994) was a World Number 1 tennis player from Chile. She was the first Latin American, and first Hispanic person, to be ranked World Number 1 tennis player. Also, Anita Lizana was the first Latin American to win a Grand Slam singles championship. She won the U.S. Championships in 1937, defeating Jadwiga Jędrzejowska in the final 6–4, 6–2.

Since Anita Lizana, the only other Latin American to be ranked World Number 1 in ladies tennis has been the legendary Maria Bueno of Brazil.

According to Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, she was ranked in the world top ten in 1936 and 1937 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of World No. 1 in those rankings in 1937.